Chapter 107: The Threat

Chapter 107

Uncertain how long she had been asleep, Mei finally opened her eyes to find night had already fallen.

The room was pitch dark. Lying in bed, Mei pondered how she seemed to be sleeping more and more lately. Although rest helped replenish her internal energies and heal her wounds, the truth was her condition hadn’t improved at all—in fact, it was deteriorating.

Frustration welled up inside her. What kind of force was so overpowering that even the three types of energy within her couldn’t mend her injuries?

Sighing in despair, she wondered if this was her fate now.

As her soft sigh echoed, the room’s light flicked on, and Mei realized there was someone else there. She was speechless—her body weakening was one thing, but her alertness failing too was another matter entirely.

“Awake? Hungry?” Mo Chen, unaware of Mei’s inner turmoil, sat carefully beside her, helping her sit up and propping soft pillows behind her back.

“I’m not hungry. It’s so late. Why aren’t you resting, Chen?” Mei replied.

Her appetite had sharply declined; she could go a whole day without eating and not feel hunger. Even a few bites made her feel full, as if her stomach were rebelling.

“Why, don’t you need company to sleep now?” Mo Chen smirked, a playful glint in his eyes.

Mei was at a loss for words. How could she tell him she wasn’t merely sleeping, but had been in a coma?

Resigned, she changed the subject. “Chen, I suppose Aye told you—we encountered Number Three.”

“Yeah, I know,” Mo Chen let her steer the conversation, continuing, “I guess we won’t be able to get revenge.”

“Why do you say that?” Mo Chen raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

“Because Number Three probably wiped out those people. After all, they were his enemies too, right?”

“How did he find them? I’ve been chasing leads for so long without any success. How did he manage?”

“It wasn’t him who found them; they found him. They must’ve sent people after you too, since we were all failures. But he’s different—he’s the only successful test subject. Naturally, they wanted to bring him back. Unfortunately, they underestimated his power. They lost control and ended up bringing disaster upon themselves.”

“I see. So the experimental center is under his control now? Was the person we met at Changyang Base sent by him? And why did he want to kill you? Do you have a grudge?”

“He never intended to kill me. The person he sent last time was, in his words, a gift. But to me, it felt more like a test. He sent someone who once tried to kill me to see what I was capable of now. If the result didn’t meet his expectations, I’d be killed; if it did, he’d step in himself.”

“Step in? Personally kill you?” Mo Chen frowned, still not understanding Number Three’s motives.

“Of course not. I think he wants me to willingly become his research subject. He knows how much people from that place hate experiments. So, he’s sabotaging my body, making it so no one else can cure me. To survive, I’d have to turn to him and be at his mercy.”

Watching Mo Chen’s face grow darker with each word, Mei sighed again.

Only those who had been through it understood how advanced the Ultimate Human Research Center’s genetic studies were. Number Three was a top expert. After he sabotaged her, Mei had little hope left for the scientists at Longsheng Base.

That was why she stopped Ye Jingxuan from rushing there—because even if she got to Longsheng, their scientists wouldn’t be able to help much with her condition.

“Did he say how to contact him? Or where to find him?” Mo Chen, sharing her concerns, asked.

“No. Before leaving, he just told me to wait for his message.”

Clearly, he planned to let her suffer fully before reappearing. Finding him now would be nearly impossible.

“Tomorrow, let the scientists here take a look. They might not cure you, but hopefully they can slow down the deterioration,” Mo Chen comforted her.

“That’s all I can hope for,” Mei sighed. What else could she do? She had to hold on until Number Three showed up again.

“By the way, did you encounter any other dangers along the way?” Mo Chen changed the topic.

“I didn’t, but Aye suffered a lot protecting me,” Mei said with guilt.

“Oh? What happened? Mutated beasts? Plants?” Mo Chen guessed.

“Neither. I can’t tell you exactly. After falling underground, I was unconscious for a long time. During that time, Aye took great care of me. Even after I woke, he treated me like fragile porcelain, not letting me do anything. If not for seeing how exhausted he was, I wouldn’t have remembered I have an energy vehicle in my space,” Mei explained.

Because of the secret involving Ye Jingxuan, Mei didn’t want a third person to know, which was why she erased everyone’s memories in that village.

Seeing her reluctance, Mo Chen didn’t push. But hearing the dependence in her voice stirred a pang in his heart. That reliance had once belonged solely to him, and now it was being shared. Of course, he couldn’t help but feel unsettled.

Yet he masked it with a light tone. “Good. Otherwise, I would've just punched him once today—it would’ve been too easy on him!”

“Chen!” Mei called out, exasperated.

“What? Feeling sorry for him?” Mo Chen teased, though his heart tightened.

“Yeah. I don’t know why, but when I see him covered in wounds protecting me, it really hurts here.” Mei clutched her chest, eyes filled with confusion. “Chen, I don’t understand why he fights so hard for me. His life should matter most. Why doesn’t he care?”

Mo Chen sighed. She still didn’t understand.

But maybe that was for the best.

He answered vaguely, “Because we’re comrades. He can’t just watch you fall into danger.”

Is that true?

Mei eyed him skeptically but saw only certainty in his gaze, as if that were an undeniable truth.

Satisfied for now, she set the question aside. After all, Shiriel had once told her that if she had questions no one could answer, she should keep them in her heart until adulthood—then the answers would come naturally.

Thinking of Shiriel, a wistful look crossed Mei’s face.

If only he were here. He could surely cure her, so she wouldn’t have to be Number Three’s experimental subject.

“What are you thinking about?” Mo Chen asked, noticing her nostalgic expression.

Mei was honest. “About Shiriel. If only he were here, he could cure me.”

“Where is this Shiriel?” Mo Chen’s interest piqued at the mention of someone other than Number Three who could heal her.

Mei wanted to shake her head but couldn’t move her neck, so she replied with a sigh, “Far, far away. Unless he’s willing to come, there’s no way to find him.”

“Is there no way to contact him? How did you communicate before?” Mo Chen pressed.

“We used to be together all the time, so it was easy. But now we’re too far apart, and I can’t reach him.” Mei gently touched the squad emblem on her hand, helpless.

She wanted to contact Shiriel, but the emblem’s communication array couldn’t send messages across space. So all she could do was hope to gather what she needed to come of age and return someday.

“Then forget it. Let the base’s doctors try. Maybe we’re too pessimistic, and your condition isn’t as bad as we think,” Mo Chen encouraged, swallowing his disappointment.

“Hopefully,” Mei sighed, voice faint.

They chatted a little more until Mei fell asleep again. Mo Chen carefully laid her back down, tucked the blanket around her, then switched off the light and sat beside her, keeping watch.

He wasn’t sure what feelings he had for Mei, only that in less than half a year, he’d grown used to caring for her. While she was away, his heart felt empty, and nothing was interesting. Only when she returned did it feel whole again.

He didn’t know when she’d become the center of his world, the axis around which everything revolved. Yet, sadly, he was no longer the sole center. Though he had expected this day, he hadn’t imagined it would come so soon.

Shaking his head to dispel the uncomfortable thoughts, he pushed the feelings from his mind.

Now wasn’t the time for such worries. The most important thing was to find a way to heal her. If he failed, her future would be far grimmer than returning to a dark, hopeless life.

Ling Feng’s efficiency was remarkable; by the next day, he brought news that Mei was to be transferred to the research zone.

“A vehicle will come for her. If her condition changes, I’ll make sure you’re informed immediately,” Ling Feng said.

“So you want Mei to go alone, and we have to stay here? That’s impossible!” Mo Chen rejected the idea without hesitation.

Ye Jingxuan silently moved to stand beside Mo Chen, showing his silent opposition to Ling Feng’s proposal.

“The research area is strictly off-limits to unauthorized personnel!” Ling Feng stated calmly, citing base regulations.

“I don’t care about your rules. Find a way. I’ll never let Mei go to a place like that alone! Don’t think Longsheng is our only option. Her body can still hold on a while—I can find a place willing to accept my terms! Besides, her contract runes have vanished; the contract binding her is broken!” Mo Chen threatened.

With his words hanging in the air, everyone in the Reverse Squad—except for the absent Mei—stood up, ready to leave if their demands weren’t met.

(To be continued.)